Excuse me, is that a contact?
Its a question Ive been asked everywhere from a department store to my usual corner deli.
The answer is no, its not a contact: Its a novelty or fun eye prosthetic.
Photography by Paula Andrea
Truth be told, Ive never felt more beautiful and confident.
Since losing my left eye at the age of four, Ive worn a prosthetic.
Mayta also usually wears a novelty prosthetic.
Photography by Paula Andrea
I was proud of the fact that I was different.
After discovering Maytas profile, I immediately slid into her DMs.
It was unanimous that I was absolutely meant to go.
Photography by Paula Andrea
I booked a flight straight to Oregon.
I couldnt wait to be one of her happy patients.
Of course, the wearers safety is also paramount.
She compares an ill-fitting prosthetic to too-snug shoes: It can cause irritation and inflammation within the socket.
A fitting for any prosthetic eye, novelty or not, takes several hours.
First, an impression is made of the inside of the eye socket.
Once measurements are taken, then its time to mold and create which is where King truly shines.
All the design work is hand painted.
She works quickly, often on more than one eye at a time.
After seeing her impressiveInstagram videos, I couldnt wait to start the process for myself.
I was literally counting down the days.
We even created a Pinterest board of different gemstones and colors I liked.
The first time I remember going to an ocularist I was six years old.
As a child, I would always hold my breath when receiving a new eye.
The room was full of monocular friends from my support group called the One Eyed Gang.
Much like getting a serious haircut, I was trying to absorb my new look.
Now its been nearly six months since my first fun eye and I cant imagine life without it.
My first fun eye quickly expanded into four.
Now, I even have a matching all-black glitter one (with no iris!)
with a group of girls from my support group.
We wore them for a bachelorette weekend.
Having fun prosthetic eyes is truly like wearing a small piece of designer jewelry every day.
It’s easy to see how much labor, love, and skill goes into creating each individual prosthetic.
In fact, so many donations came in that there was even enough to cover multiple prosthetics.
And so the Fun Eye Fund was born.
King hopes to soon expand her business to include more ocularists so she can reach even more individuals.
Plus, Ive found a whole new way to accessorize everyday outfits.
My Pinterest is now solely dedicated to which fun eye Im after next.
